Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 126
- June 13, 2025
Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 126
- June 13, 2025
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
This week it is important that I give all parents a reminder about an important event coming up on the school calendar – the Student Led Conferences which take place on Monday 7th July. A letter will be sent out in the coming weeks explaining how you make an appointment for you and your child to attend. Individual appointments will be available between 2pm and 7pm.
Each child has their own individual conference which is attended by their parents and form tutor. Each child leads their own conference which is structured as follows:
- Stage One: The student provides a summary of their academic year.
- Stage Two: The student talks about their strengths and successes.
- Stage Three: The students share and reflect upon their areas for development.
- Stage Four: Finally, each student sets individual targets for the next academic year with their parents and their form tutor guiding and supporting.
In leading their own conference, each child is encouraged to take ownership of their learning and to reflect upon how they can progress in the future. We prepare students extensively for this in the weeks prior to it taking place. They plan what they are going to say, organise examples of their work and identify areas for development during form time. For the conference to have maximum impact, parents need to attend.
Parental feedback from these events is always positive. To outline the value of this event for parents, I have included comments and feedback from previous Student Led Conferences.
"It was a delight to see my daughter speak independently about her learning, topics she enjoyed and areas she felt needs to develop. To see her grow in confidence, from previous anxieties around public speaking to develop and produce an outstanding presentation, was heartfelt to watch and hear, as well as how she has become an amazing student at Freddie’s. What a difference time makes."
"The teacher was warm and inviting and got the most out of my child being like this and it was a very positive meeting."
"This was a valuable addition to the parent/teacher evening, encouraging greater student involvement and developing oracy skills. It pushed my child out of his comfort zone but a valuable experience. Thank you."
"I found today's visit very worthwhile. I’m very pleased with the progress my daughter is making at this school."
"Very impressed with the pastoral care at Freddie's. I like the way the conferences keep students accountable for their attendance and progress throughout the year. Great idea."
"I think these conferences are so valuable in allowing the students to take ownership of their learning and development. It also allows them to develop confidence in presenting information about themselves and feeling a little out of their comfort zone."
"I enjoyed the session. It was good to hear my child discuss how they feel this academic year has gone. Detailing the things they have enjoyed and the areas they feel they can improve on."
"It was really nice having the opportunity to come into school and listen to my son talk about school. He is very quiet - I hope he will become more confident as he moves through school and therefore gets more out of future conferences. Thanks for arranging the conferences."
"I was very pleased with the way the conference was led with both the student and teacher, I saw a great improvement in the confidence my daughter has gained since last year and enjoyed seeing some of her work and hearing what she is proud of and how she would improve areas she has been less successful with this year."
"This was a great opportunity to hear some of the areas that my daughter has improved on this year and as discussed confidently what she is proud of. It was good to hear what her plans are for next year with her options and how she can improve with her attendance and also her homework. Tonight, I got to see and hear how I can support my daughter also. Thank you."
"Really nice to catch up with the form teacher and chat about learning. Great to get the students involved in their own learning rather than it being stated to them."
"The conference is positive as it helps young people reflect on their year and develop their confidence. I enjoy attending them as they are informative, and it allows me to show how very proud I am of my children."
"The Student-Led Conference is a very good initiative which I will encourage the school to continue to sustain. It has helped me as a parent to get a better clarification about the activities that my child is doing in school. Thank you."
"This gave a great insight to where our daughter is currently at with her learning journey. Wonderful to hear her working her way through various situations. Thank you."
"Good idea to get pupils to take ownership of the learning."
"Great idea - enjoyed meeting the form tutor. Great to see my son in his own environment. I can see how much he has grown in confidence, and he is really proud to be part of Freddies!"
"Important to encourage the children to talk about themselves, strengths and weaknesses, as they will need to do this in an interview situation."
Thank-you for your continued support.
Mr Davies.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
Dear Parents & Carers,
This week it is important that I give all parents a reminder about an important event coming up on the school calendar – the Student Led Conferences which take place on Monday 7th July. A letter will be sent out in the coming weeks explaining how you make an appointment for you and your child to attend. Individual appointments will be available between 2pm and 7pm.
Each child has their own individual conference which is attended by their parents and form tutor. Each child leads their own conference which is structured as follows:
- Stage One: The student provides a summary of their academic year.
- Stage Two: The student talks about their strengths and successes.
- Stage Three: The students share and reflect upon their areas for development.
- Stage Four: Finally, each student sets individual targets for the next academic year with their parents and their form tutor guiding and supporting.
In leading their own conference, each child is encouraged to take ownership of their learning and to reflect upon how they can progress in the future. We prepare students extensively for this in the weeks prior to it taking place. They plan what they are going to say, organise examples of their work and identify areas for development during form time. For the conference to have maximum impact, parents need to attend.
Parental feedback from these events is always positive. To outline the value of this event for parents, I have included comments and feedback from previous Student Led Conferences.
"It was a delight to see my daughter speak independently about her learning, topics she enjoyed and areas she felt needs to develop. To see her grow in confidence, from previous anxieties around public speaking to develop and produce an outstanding presentation, was heartfelt to watch and hear, as well as how she has become an amazing student at Freddie’s. What a difference time makes."
"The teacher was warm and inviting and got the most out of my child being like this and it was a very positive meeting."
"This was a valuable addition to the parent/teacher evening, encouraging greater student involvement and developing oracy skills. It pushed my child out of his comfort zone but a valuable experience. Thank you."
"I found today's visit very worthwhile. I’m very pleased with the progress my daughter is making at this school."
"Very impressed with the pastoral care at Freddie's. I like the way the conferences keep students accountable for their attendance and progress throughout the year. Great idea."
"I think these conferences are so valuable in allowing the students to take ownership of their learning and development. It also allows them to develop confidence in presenting information about themselves and feeling a little out of their comfort zone."
"I enjoyed the session. It was good to hear my child discuss how they feel this academic year has gone. Detailing the things they have enjoyed and the areas they feel they can improve on."
"It was really nice having the opportunity to come into school and listen to my son talk about school. He is very quiet - I hope he will become more confident as he moves through school and therefore gets more out of future conferences. Thanks for arranging the conferences."
"I was very pleased with the way the conference was led with both the student and teacher, I saw a great improvement in the confidence my daughter has gained since last year and enjoyed seeing some of her work and hearing what she is proud of and how she would improve areas she has been less successful with this year."
"This was a great opportunity to hear some of the areas that my daughter has improved on this year and as discussed confidently what she is proud of. It was good to hear what her plans are for next year with her options and how she can improve with her attendance and also her homework. Tonight, I got to see and hear how I can support my daughter also. Thank you."
"Really nice to catch up with the form teacher and chat about learning. Great to get the students involved in their own learning rather than it being stated to them."
"The conference is positive as it helps young people reflect on their year and develop their confidence. I enjoy attending them as they are informative, and it allows me to show how very proud I am of my children."
"The Student-Led Conference is a very good initiative which I will encourage the school to continue to sustain. It has helped me as a parent to get a better clarification about the activities that my child is doing in school. Thank you."
"This gave a great insight to where our daughter is currently at with her learning journey. Wonderful to hear her working her way through various situations. Thank you."
"Good idea to get pupils to take ownership of the learning."
"Great idea - enjoyed meeting the form tutor. Great to see my son in his own environment. I can see how much he has grown in confidence, and he is really proud to be part of Freddies!"
"Important to encourage the children to talk about themselves, strengths and weaknesses, as they will need to do this in an interview situation."
Thank-you for your continued support.
Mr Davies.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
This week it is important that I give all parents a reminder about an important event coming up on the school calendar – the Student Led Conferences which take place on Monday 7th July. A letter will be sent out in the coming weeks explaining how you make an appointment for you and your child to attend. Individual appointments will be available between 2pm and 7pm.
Each child has their own individual conference which is attended by their parents and form tutor. Each child leads their own conference which is structured as follows:
- Stage One: The student provides a summary of their academic year.
- Stage Two: The student talks about their strengths and successes.
- Stage Three: The students share and reflect upon their areas for development.
- Stage Four: Finally, each student sets individual targets for the next academic year with their parents and their form tutor guiding and supporting.
In leading their own conference, each child is encouraged to take ownership of their learning and to reflect upon how they can progress in the future. We prepare students extensively for this in the weeks prior to it taking place. They plan what they are going to say, organise examples of their work and identify areas for development during form time. For the conference to have maximum impact, parents need to attend.
Parental feedback from these events is always positive. To outline the value of this event for parents, I have included comments and feedback from previous Student Led Conferences.
"It was a delight to see my daughter speak independently about her learning, topics she enjoyed and areas she felt needs to develop. To see her grow in confidence, from previous anxieties around public speaking to develop and produce an outstanding presentation, was heartfelt to watch and hear, as well as how she has become an amazing student at Freddie’s. What a difference time makes."
"The teacher was warm and inviting and got the most out of my child being like this and it was a very positive meeting."
"This was a valuable addition to the parent/teacher evening, encouraging greater student involvement and developing oracy skills. It pushed my child out of his comfort zone but a valuable experience. Thank you."
"I found today's visit very worthwhile. I’m very pleased with the progress my daughter is making at this school."
"Very impressed with the pastoral care at Freddie's. I like the way the conferences keep students accountable for their attendance and progress throughout the year. Great idea."
"I think these conferences are so valuable in allowing the students to take ownership of their learning and development. It also allows them to develop confidence in presenting information about themselves and feeling a little out of their comfort zone."
"I enjoyed the session. It was good to hear my child discuss how they feel this academic year has gone. Detailing the things they have enjoyed and the areas they feel they can improve on."
"It was really nice having the opportunity to come into school and listen to my son talk about school. He is very quiet - I hope he will become more confident as he moves through school and therefore gets more out of future conferences. Thanks for arranging the conferences."
"I was very pleased with the way the conference was led with both the student and teacher, I saw a great improvement in the confidence my daughter has gained since last year and enjoyed seeing some of her work and hearing what she is proud of and how she would improve areas she has been less successful with this year."
"This was a great opportunity to hear some of the areas that my daughter has improved on this year and as discussed confidently what she is proud of. It was good to hear what her plans are for next year with her options and how she can improve with her attendance and also her homework. Tonight, I got to see and hear how I can support my daughter also. Thank you."
"Really nice to catch up with the form teacher and chat about learning. Great to get the students involved in their own learning rather than it being stated to them."
"The conference is positive as it helps young people reflect on their year and develop their confidence. I enjoy attending them as they are informative, and it allows me to show how very proud I am of my children."
"The Student-Led Conference is a very good initiative which I will encourage the school to continue to sustain. It has helped me as a parent to get a better clarification about the activities that my child is doing in school. Thank you."
"This gave a great insight to where our daughter is currently at with her learning journey. Wonderful to hear her working her way through various situations. Thank you."
"Good idea to get pupils to take ownership of the learning."
"Great idea - enjoyed meeting the form tutor. Great to see my son in his own environment. I can see how much he has grown in confidence, and he is really proud to be part of Freddies!"
"Important to encourage the children to talk about themselves, strengths and weaknesses, as they will need to do this in an interview situation."
Thank-you for your continued support.
Mr Davies.
Things to celebrate
- Our Year 11 students are nearing the end of their exams. They are doing so well. Keep going Year 11 (and Year 11 parents and carers!)
- This week our Year 10 students have started their mock exams. We are incredibly proud of the way in which they have conducted themselves so far.
- This week we celebrated our ‘Freddie’s Focus stars’. Please ask your child if they received a shout out for their work in a particular subject over the past fortnight.
- Preparations for our next school show ‘Oliver’ are underway. Auditions took place this week. We have received news that one of our ex-students, Adam Boardman, is appearing on the West End stage in London in ‘Oliver’ later this year. What an incredible achievement and inspiration to our students!
- On Wednesday night we have 25 dancers (Year 7-10) performing at Salford Dance Explosion at The Lowry. They’ve got a great dance piece lined up and will put on an amazing performance, as usual!
Wider cultural experiences at Freddie's
At Freddie’s we offer our students a wide range of extra-curricular activities. For further details, click here.
- Sporting Success this week
- Macey Greeley (Year 9)
- Neive Fitzmaurice (Year 7)
- Alissia Meskell (Year 7)
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Sporting Success this week
- Macey Greeley (Year 9)
- Neive Fitzmaurice (Year 7)
- Alissia Meskell (Year 7)
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Apprenticeship Information and Support
As a parent or carer, you want to be able to guide and advise your child towards the best opportunity for them. One of the options available is apprenticeships, and you can find lots of useful information via the link below.
School Reminders
Did you know that you can read previous editions of Freddie’s Focus from this Academic Year? To do so, click here.
School Reminders
Did you know that you can read previous editions of Freddie’s Focus from this Academic Year? To do so, click here.
What we do at Freddie's and why we do it
At Freddie’s we want our students to develop as excellent learners who ultimately achieve the very best from their time at school. Below are the FLHS BEST Standards.
These standards are displayed in all classrooms and referred to as a constant reminder of the positive learning habits that we want all students to display.
‘Habits accelerate learning’
At Freddie’s, celebration, praise and reward are at the heart of all that we do. We want all of our students to strive for excellence.
Year 7 to Year 10
100 HoY Mug/Earphones/Water Bottle/Skip the queue pass
175 JWY Power Bank/Skip the queue pass/Calculator/£5 Amazon voucher
250 JWY £10 Amazon voucher/Skip the queue pass
350 PDA £15 Amazon voucher/Skip the queue pass
Year 11
100 HoY £5 Amazon voucher/£5 off Prom
150 JWY £10 Amazon voucher/£10 off Prom
200 PDA £15 Amazon voucher/£15 off Prom
Homework and Independent Learning
At Freddie’s, there are six types of homework set in order to embed key knowledge and ensure that your child is equipped with independent learning skills. Below are the types of homework that we set:
Our working memory can only hold a few pieces of information for up to 30 seconds until it is lost/forgotten. This is why we have to do something with that information to make sure it is not lost. Actively engaging with information and tasks which involve retrieval and repetition help information stick.
Applications that we use for learning
The following applications are used by our students during their time at FLHS to aid their learning. You can learn more about them below.
Microsoft Office
Did you know that your child can access Microsoft Office at home for free? As a student at Fred Longworth High School, your child is allowed to download a fully working free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use on their computer, smartphone and tablet whilst they are a student at our school. Click on the button below to learn more.
Satchel:One
Satchel:One is the school online learning platform for students and is the parental portal for all information related to your child’s overall progress within school. You can keep track of your child’s homework using Satchel:One. It is advisable to remind your child to get into the habit of checking their homework on Satchel:One regularly. Relying upon notifications is not the right approach and we advise students to turn off notifications so that they are not disturbed by them.
GCSEPod
GCSEPod is an online study platform and is the perfect resource to help your child learn, retain and recall all the information they need to achieve their GCSE goals. GCSEPod provides 3-5 minute bursts of audio-visual, teacher written learning which can help to reinforce and consolidate key GCSE topics covered in lessons. Experts read and explain everything clearly including all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and diagrams on screen. GCSEPod is only available to students in Year 10 and Year 11.
Homework Club
Please remind your child that homework club is available to all students Monday to Thursday where they can complete work in a quiet environment with staff on hand to support them, and computers for online quizzes and research.
Attendance
We want to do all we can to support your child to be in school every day and ask that you support this important message from home, encouraging your child to avoid missing curriculum content through absence. Here is a breakdown of the absences for the following attendance percentages:
Thank you for your continued support with attendance.
Please encourage your child to be in school every day.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.
Belonging, Engaging, Succeeding Together.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.